Island



W. E. LINCOLN.

TOY.

No. 64,117. Patented Apr. 23, 1867.

o gems tetra gaunt ffzne.

WllzLlAM E. LINCOLN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MILTONBRADLEY 55 00., OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 64,117, dated April 23, 1867.

TOY.

flit: Stlgit'ilt mum in in tlgrsr Z'Eefitrs new: tmh mating gift at thesame.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY'CONGERN;

Beit known that I, WILLIAM E. LINCOLN, of Providence, county ofProvidence, State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful toycalled the Zoitrope; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of refer. ence marked thereon.In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a side view.

Fig re 2, a section; and

Figure 3, a plan view of my invention.

Figure 4: being a view of a portion of it.

This invention consists of a toy arranged so that a number of figuresare seen moving in imitation of life, or in other and complicatedmovements, and is constructed so that any number of plates can beadjusted to it, putting no limit to the variety of the subjects thatcanbe shown. This invention is based upon the optical fact that an imageonce seen is retained for a moment of time upon the retina of the eyeafter the, image is withdrawn.

In construction I form my zotrope of a' cylinder, A, of pasteboard orother suitable material, having vertical slits, a b 0 (Z c, 850., out inits sides. This cylinder has a bottom, B, felt, in the centre of whichis fastened a pin or centre pivot, C, upon which it revolves. The centrepivot C works in a socket, D, upon the stand E. Around the insidecircumference of the cylinder A I place the plate F, having the figuresupon it.

' This plate F occupies, in height,thc space between the bottom of thecylinder and the lower edges of the slits.

a b e de, &c., and laterally extends all around the inside surface of thcyl meeting at s n s. The figures in this plate, generally correspondingin number to the slits in the cylinder, are arranged and shaped in apeculiar manner, cash figure developing the movement wished to beimparted, in a slight degree more than the one preceding it. Thus itwill be seen in the plate shown in 'fig. 4, that No. 2 (the motionintended being that of dancing) is a further development of the positionof No. 1, the left leg being brought a little further down, and the leftarm a little higher up, the right limbs being correspondingly reversed.No. 3 is a still further development, No. 4 still further, until-at No.5 it changes ou-thcrcvcrse from No. 1. Thus each of these figures aredifferent from the next ones by a little nearerapproach to the changedesired. Now when these plates are placed inside of the cylinder, in theposition before mentioned, having the figures arranged on thisprinciple, the cylinder being rapidly revolved on itspivot, the observerlooking through the slits in the sides sees the figures apparentlymoving. Those shown in the drawing appear to be dancing. The reason ofthis is, because one of these figures being caught sight of through oneof the slits, the impression is retained upon the retinaof the eye untilanother slit has come around nd another f gure is seen. But this figurebeing in a difl'erent attitude from the first, the two are merged intoeach other so rapidly that the abruptncss of the change is not apparentto the eye, and the first-figure seems as if it moved into the positionof the second. In the same way each succeeding figure makes part of the.general motion. In the bottom of the cylinder may be placed a 'plate, G,with a figure similar in general shape to'that shownin fig. 3, andsubject to the same laws that are described above. In this figure anumber of teeth are apparently made to revolve in opposite directions bya "gradual change inthe relative positions of the two wheels. In thismannor'I produce a very amusing toy,

. cheap in construction, and admitting of every variety of taste andfancy in the designs uponthe plates, they being only limited by theprinciple involved and the size of the cylinder. The great advantage ofthis invention over all other toys based on the same optical illusion'is, that with this any number of persons can, by placing it in thecentre of the room, be able easily to sec, at thcsarnc time, all themovements.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The device herein described, consisting of-the revolving cylinder A,with any number of slits, a Z; a (Z c,

' and having figures upon its inside surface, and arranged andconstructed substantially as set forth.

2. The plate F, having any dcsi'rcd figures upon it, arranged in themanner and for the purpose described. 3; The plate B, upon the bottom ofthe cylinder, having any desired figure or figures upon it, formedsubstantinlly in the manner and-for he purpose shown.

WM. E. LINCOLN.

Witnesses:

Enwn. D. PEARCE, J. ,Arznnnws.

